Chapter 14: Shaving the Beard

After returning to the room, Di Jiang, for the first time ever, brought bathwater for Wen Yao and helped her into the bathtub. The water in the tub had been heated by the young Daoists and mixed with some cold water, making it just the right temperature.

Sitting in the bathtub, Wen Yao felt incredulous and began to feel uneasy.

“Boss, are you planning to abandon me...?” Wen Yao looked sad and asked softly.

“How could you think that?” Di Jiang was momentarily dazed but then continued to comb Wen Yao’s hair.

Wen Yao’s hair was very long and jet black, usually cascading down her shoulders like spilled ink. But now, soaked with water, it tangled inch by inch, making her look quite disheveled.

Di Jiang carefully combed her hair, which made Wen Yao even more nervous.

The boss had never treated her so gently!

“Boss... I’ve followed you for so many years, and this is the first time you’ve shown such concern for me. I...” Wen Yao stammered and after a while said, “I’m afraid you don’t want me anymore.”

“How could that be?” Di Jiang smiled softly and said, “Even I am reluctant to part with Lord Wu, let alone you? I understand your feelings, and I won’t blame you.”

“Then can Lord Wu come back?” Wen Yao asked again.

“Yes,” Di Jiang nodded affirmatively, “He risked his life to save me, and I will save him too.”

Hearing Di Jiang’s definitive answer, Wen Yao finally put her mind at ease and enjoyed the rare hot bath in the middle of winter.

...

The next day, Di Jiang was awakened by the commotion outside in the courtyard.

“Master Zhong, can’t you shave your beard? You look so sloppy!”

It was Wen Yao’s voice.

Immediately after, Elder Yu Ling’s voice chimed in, shaking his head repeatedly, “Eh, Miss Wen Yao, you’re mistaken. Our abbot relies on this beard to command respect. If he shaves it off, his authority might diminish, and fewer people would believe he is the abbot of our Baiyun Temple!”

“Baiyun Temple has already turned into the Matchmaker Shrine; what can’t we accept?” Wen Yao laughed heartily, saying, “Baiyun Temple used to be famous, but now it has declined! Within a hundred miles, who still knows the name of Baiyun Temple? Those who come here now know only your name, Elder Yu Ling! Why not just take over and rename Baiyun Temple to the Matchmaker Temple? Wouldn’t that be great?”

“You!” Elder Yu Ling was so angry he blew his beard and glared, eventually muttering, “Nonsense!” With that, he left, looking utterly disappointed.

Wen Yao immediately picked up the scissors and trimmed off Zhong Xu’s long beard, leaving only a stubble on his face. After examining it, Di Jiang took out a razor from the box and said, “Since we’ve started, let’s just shave it all off.”

Zhong Xu didn’t object, allowing Di Jiang to work on his face. In no time, all the facial hair was shaved off, leaving a clean-shaven face.

“Master Zhong, who would have thought you were such a handsome young man!” Wen Yao looked astonished, staring at Zhong Xu’s face.

Zhong Xu was startled by her intense gaze and evaded her eyes, saying, “Miss Wen Yao, please show some restraint.”

“Oh, come on, we’re close friends. Who are you showing restraint for? I’m complimenting you on being handsome. How is that lacking in decorum? If you don’t believe me, take a look yourself.” Wen Yao said, bringing over a bronze mirror and placing it in front of Zhong Xu.

Zhong Xu glanced at it once and changed his expression. His pupils contracted, visibly shocked no less than Wen Yao.

The person in the mirror was lean and handsome, youthful and delicate, appearing at least ten years younger than the bearded Zhong Xu. Despite his serious demeanor, his youthful appearance couldn’t be concealed.

“So Master Zhong is still a young man!” Wen Yao clicked her tongue repeatedly, teasing, “I thought you were at least forty. Turns out what the boss said was true—you’re just over twenty, perhaps even younger than twenty?”

Zhong Xu’s face turned red, suddenly regretting not heeding Elder Yu Ling’s advice to continue growing his beard.

“Master Zhong, you seem unhappy?” Di Jiang looked at Zhong Xu and smiled brightly.

“No, I’m just not used to it.” Zhong Xu finished speaking and turned away, avoiding her gaze.

Di Jiang forcibly lifted Zhong Xu’s face and smiled, “I’ve always said you’d look much better without the beard. You never listened to me. Now that you see, aren’t you regretting not shaving earlier?”

Zhong Xu felt somewhat strange and questioned, “When did Boss Di advise me?”

“Well...” It was from a previous life; it’s normal you don’t remember.

Thinking this, Di Jiang naturally didn’t say much. After tidying up, she grabbed the lovesick Wen Yao and said, “Had enough of looking? If you’re done, return these things to Elder Yu Ling.”

“Oh, I’ll go now...” Reluctantly, Wen Yao dragged her feet, looking back three times at Zhong Xu’s face before leaving. However, she soon returned after dropping off the items, spending the entire day gazing at Zhong Xu’s face without taking her eyes off it.

At dinner time, when everyone gathered in the dining hall of Baiyun Temple, the junior Daoists also stared incessantly at Zhong Xu’s face like Wen Yao. Only Elder Yu Ling sighed continuously, lamenting, “The heavens are indeed destroying Baiyun Temple. This is truly no joke.”

Zhong Xu was unsettled by the inexplicable gazes in the room, struggling to eat several times. He coughed and changed the subject, “Send some food to Changsheng later. He hasn’t fully recovered and shouldn’t be exposed to the wind.”

“Yes.” The junior Daoist responded, still unwilling to look away.

Upon hearing that Changsheng had awakened, Wen Yao became curious, “Boss, does serving the sword spirit in the Sword Tomb require virginity?”

Wen Yao’s words caused everyone in the room to change expressions.

“This...” Di Jiang was at a loss for words.

Subsequently, Zhong Xu, expressionless and matter-of-factly, nodded, “Indeed.”

“What about Lord Wu...” Wen Yao paused and continued, “Does this mean his sacrifice was successful?”

“Changsheng waking up means success.”

“Does that imply...”

“Yes, Lord Wu is still a virgin.” After Zhong Xu spoke, the room fell silent again.

Elder Yu Ling coughed twice and said, “Eat slowly. I’ll leave first.” With that, he called the junior Daoists and quickly left.

After they left, Zhong Xu realized that discussing this issue with two women seemed rather awkward. Clearing his throat, he excused himself and went to the backyard to tend to the plants.

In the dining hall, only the carefree Wen Yao and the bemused Di Jiang remained.

“Who would have thought that despite frequenting flower beds since childhood, Lord Wu is still a virgin—it’s quite rare...” Wen Yao clicked her tongue repeatedly.

“...”

Seeing Di Jiang silent, Wen Yao grinned to herself, “Boss, you must save Lord Wu. Such a chaste young man is hard to find in this world!”

After hearing this, Di Jiang’s face flushed red and white alternately, unable to snap out of it for a long while.

That night, Di Jiang had a dream.

She dreamed of a warm afternoon, the sunlight warmly enveloping her body. Wu Rui’an was playing chess with Shuxiang. Seeing her descend the stairs, he gave her a faint smile.

His smile carried the most comforting sunshine in the world, making one feel as if basking in spring breeze.

He smiled at her, saying, “You sure love to sleep. We’ve already played four rounds of chess.”

By his side was a frustrated Shuxiang.

Shuxiang was sharp-witted, a rare prodigy among youths, and had never lost in chess. Yet against Wu Rui’an, he hadn’t managed a single good move.

He complained more than once, “Lord Wu always wins by just half a move, as if foreseeing the game beforehand—unfathomable.”

And Wu Rui’an would always laugh, “If your boss kisses me, I’ll give it my all in a round of chess with you, letting you know how skilled I am.”

Every time he said this, it would draw eye rolls from everyone in the room.

This was Di Jiang’s countless dreams of Wu Rui’an. Similar scenes, many small details she barely remembered before, now seemed to collectively surge into her mind.

Could it be that she really couldn’t let him go?

Otherwise, how could this longing grow like grass, unstoppable by wildfire, needing no spring breeze, yet relentlessly flourishing?

...

In the following days, Di Jiang stayed at Baiyun Temple. During the day, she watched Elder Yu Ling run the Matchmaker Shrine or observed Zhong Xu practicing his swordsmanship in the backyard. At night, after dinner, she sat alone by the Hualing Pool, lost in thought.

Wen Yao asked her several times, “Boss, when are we going back?”

Di Jiang shook her head each time, saying, “We came with Lord Wu, and we’ll return together with him.”

Wen Yao knew Di Jiang would find a way to save Wu Rui’an, but the longer the days dragged on, the less confident she became. Subconsciously, she felt Wu Rui’an was already dead, forever gone from this world.

Wen Yao had tried to persuade her several times, but Di Jiang didn’t intend to change her mind. So, Wen Yao could only spend her days idly at Baiyun Temple, even more bored than in Taiping Prefecture.

Eventually, unable to bear it, Wen Yao began teasing the junior Daoists. Changsheng was bullied until his body was covered in bruises. When he complained to Zhong Xu, he said, “Wen Yao insists on playing cliff-jumping games with me. Her mental fortitude is strong; she survives by grabbing tree branches. But how can I match her skills? Falling apart isn’t the worst part; when she gets tired, she makes me carry her up from the bottom of the mountain. At this rate, in less than two months, I’ll have to join Lord Wu below!”

At this point, Changsheng received another beating from Wen Yao.

“What do you mean, ‘join Lord Wu below’? Lord Wu is still alive! The boss said she would definitely bring him back to life!” Wen Yao shouted, throwing herself into Di Jiang’s arms and crying.

Her tears softened Di Jiang’s heart, making her unable to punish Wen Yao.

Over time, everyone at Baiyun Temple was driven to exasperation by Wen Yao, eagerly hoping this master and servant duo would leave soon.

Elder Yu Ling approached Zhong Xu several times, suggesting he take Changsheng back to Taiping Prefecture to reopen the coffin shop. Zhong Xu discussed it with Di Jiang several times, but she always refused, saying, “We’ll return to the capital when Wu Rui’an comes back.”

Zhong Xu, helpless, had no choice but to give up.